1. Will any of the DCT modes provide a forceful upshift approaching the level of, for example, an E60 M5 SMG upshift in one of the more aggressive shift modes?

With tranny in S5 (or S6, for that matter) mode, the shift is has no slip - in cooler weather the tires will chirp in the 1-2 shift.

Cheers

Thanks. Understood. Since it sounds like you know exactly what I'm talking about relative to SMG, how would you compare the sort of "kick" the DCT will provide versus SMG? Is it half as harsh? Is it more or less than that?